14 November, 2006

London Bus Strike

It would have been wonderful if *any* of the newspapers I read (on average 4 per day) had mentioned that today, when I got to the number 17 bus stop, there would be 4 people in HVJ's (this is becoming a habit!) politely explaining (while they smoked cigarettes) that the bus drivers union was out on strike (the first time in seven years incidentally). Not all of it, just Metroline, so I could still get to Kings Cross apparently, but as he began to explain the series of changes required my eyes began to glaze over, at which point Flyingpops chipped in with "Or he could just get the tube?", which earned the parrot-like response of "Or you could just get the tube, mate"...

I got the tube...

The Victoria line was suspended too (marvelous), and several of the ticket barriers into both the Jubilee Line and the Northern line were out of action meaning the queues to get down into hell were almost soul destroying...when I had completed the zombie shuffle through I had to stand and wait on Platform 1 for 15 minutes, watching 3 packed trains come, wait for a minute and then go...perhaps disgorging/devouring 2 or 3 people from/into the humid, chaotic tangle to cries of "There isn't any more room!" and "Stop pushing!"...When I did finally squeeze onto a train I didn't get a seat until Angel (one stop before Kings Cross) and my Metro got all crumpled up...What a wonderful way to start the day...I've managed to get dirty, smelly, sweaty, stressed, and I've achieved all that before the hour of 9am...! Result...!

That TFL website is a waste of space, only has positive "news"/"spin" on it. It's a corporate vehicle, might as well have read Pravda during the Communist party years in the Soviet Union..."Everything is fine, comrade"... >8(

I've never been a "strike victim" before neither here nor in SA, but it must be freaking annoying especially if the citizens are not informed of their actions.I only know if and when that should happen here, the Swiss will go ballistic!!